Improvement in heel-trim ming machines



2 Sheets--Sheet1.

c. c. BA LLOU. Heel Trimming Machines.

Patented September 23 Fig.1.

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6. 6. BALLOU.

Heel Trimming Machines.

No. 142,980, Patented September23,i873.

(Yihxessesl OYRUS O. BALLOU, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR TO EAST NEWYORK PATENT OFFICE.

BOOT, SHOE, AND LEATHER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HEEL-TRIMMING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 142,980, datedSeptember 23, 1873; application filed July 11,1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OYRUs C. BALLOU, of the city and county of Albanyand State of. New York, have invented certain Improvements inHeel-Trimming Machines, of which the following is a full and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making apart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe machine. Figs. 2 and 3 are detached sectional views of the slidingblock which forms the bearing for the front end of the shaft. Fig. 4 isan enlarged front view of the cutter-head and guide, and Fig. 5 a sideview of the same.

My invention consists of the mechanism constructed and arranged in themanner herein described.

As shown in the drawing, A is the table or bed-plate of the machine. B Bare pedestals, erected upon the table A to receive and guide the slidesO (3 attached to the shaft-bearings D D. An arch-piece, E, connectstogether the bearings D D, so as to retain them at their properdistance, and maintain them in perfect line during the changes ofelevation of the shaft. F is a cross-bar, which passes through slottedholes in the pedestals B B, and connects the lower ends of the slides OC. One end of the lever G, which has its fulcrum on the standard H,engages under the cross-bar F, the other end of it being connected, bymeans of the rod g, to the treadle I. J is the shaft, which revolves inthe bearings D D. Attached to it are pulleys K for receiving adriving-belt, whereby the requisite motion is imparted to it. L is acutter-head (which may be made in any of the common and Well-knownforms) attached to the shaft J. M is an adjustingscrew, which passesthrough the standard N, and is adjusted by means of the hand-wheel mwhich has a screw-thread'in its center fitting the screw. m is a headattached to the screw M, in which a dovetailed slot is made forreceiving the sliding block W, which forms a bearing for the front endof the shaft J. By means of the adjusting-screw M the shaft J can beadjusted endwise, so as to bring the cutter-head L into its properposition for trimming different heights of heels. The springO, attachedto the arch-piece E, has a bearing, P, for the backend of the shaftattached to it, and by its resisting pressure the shaft is forcedforward, so as to keep it in close contact with the sliding block M Aguide, Q, is arranged in front of the cutter-head L, the standing rim ofwhich enters the crease formed by the junction of the counter and heelof the shoe, and

guides the heel to the cutters. This guide is constructed so as to allowthe shaft J to revolve freely in it; and it may be made in the form ofan entire circular disk; but, preferably, I make them of a semicircularform,"as shown, for the purpose of obtaining free access to the knivesof the cutter-head, while adjusting them, without removing the guidefrom' its position. The guide Q is maintained in its proper position,and keptfrom revolving, by means of the springs R R, which are attachedto a bracket, 6, of the arch-piece E. These springs allow the guidesuflicient motion to overcome any tendency of the shoes to adhere to theguide, a very slight movement being all that is necessary for thispurpose. S is a centerin g-sprin g, the adj ustin g-screw of whichpasses through the standard N, andis adjusted to the required positionby the hand-wheel T, which has a screw-thread cut in its center to fitthe screw. The point of the centeringspring may be raised or depressedby means of the lever U, which is connected to the spring by the rod V.W is a centering-stud, attached to one of the pedestals for the purposeof receiving the heel-pattern plate. X X are weights attached to theslides O O, for obtaining additional resistance, when required, toprevent the shaft J from rising while the machine is in operation. 7

It will readily be seenthat my machine differs from those generally usedin these essential features: First, by arranging the shaft carrying thecutter-head upon sliding bearings, and centering the shoe upon centersplaced at a fixed height from the table of the machine, I entirelyreverse the operation by carrying the cutter'head to the heel instead ofcarrying the heel to the cutter-head. Second, by substituting thesemicircular guide Q for the roller commonly used I am enabled to adjustthe knives upon the cutter-head without removing the guide from itsplace.

To insert a shoe into the machine the bearings D D and their attachedparts are raised, by means of the treadle I, into the position indicatedby the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The sliding block on, rising in theslotted head m allows the shaft J to be elevated without obstruction.While in this position the driving-belt of the machine may becomeslackened; but, as the cutter-head is not then in position forperforming its work, this loosening of the belt is not objectionable,even if carried to such a degree as to entirely stop the motion of theshaft J.

The shoe is centered by placing the patternplate of the heel, in theusual manner, on the centering-stud W, and adjusting thecentering-spring S to the required length by means of the hand-wheel T.The shaft J is then ad justed endwise by means of the adjustingscrew M,so as to bring the standing rim of the guide Q directly over the creaseformed between the counter and heel of the shoe, when the shaft J may belowered into its proper position, thereby tightening up the belt andbringing the cutter-head L into action to cut away the surplus leatherof the heel.

My improvements may be embodied in a maand suspending the weights X X,by means of cords running over pulleys, in such a manner as to draw thecutter-head into contact with the heels to be trimmed; but preferably Iconstruct them as hereinb'efore shown and described.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the shaft J, having acutter-head, L, attached thereto, with the sliding bearings D D,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the shaft J and sliding bearings D D with theadjusting-screw M, having a slotted head, on, and sliding block, m asand for the purpose specified.

3. The guide Q, constructed and arranged to operate as herein described,in combination with the springs B R, as and for the purpose set forth.

CYRUS O. BALLOU.

Witnesses:

WM. H. Low, A. F. Low.

